If you own a bike, you need a flat-fixing kit. It’s really that simple. Sure, maybe you’ll get lucky and get a flat close to a shop, or the buses will be running on time for once, but even with all that going for you, getting stranded across town will cost you time, money, and precious sanity. You can put together a great kit in less time than it takes to read this guide.
There are two major types of headset- older, threaded headsets that have a quill that drops into the stem of the fork creating an interference connection, and newer threadless headsets that the stem is bolted and clamped on to. Flat handle bars are preferred by off road cyclists who can ride in a more upright postion whilst still having the controls at their fingertips, whereas drop handlebars offer more cycling positions and are favoured by road cyclists who typically spend more time in the saddle. The controls attached to the different styles of bar are operated and maintained in different ways.

Many bikes, including older models and track bikes, have bolts attaching the wheels to the frame instead of quick-release levers. If your wheels are bolted on, in most cases you’ll need a 15 mm wrench to remove it. We didn’t test wrenches, because there aren’t that many tiny 15 mm wrenches, but the GearWrench 15mm 12-Point Stubby Combination Wrench is perfect for stuffing into a flat kit and Amazon reviewers seem to think the same. Our experts also recommended the Surly Jethro Tule, but it’s expensive and harder to find.

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Professional mountain biker Rebecca Rusch has been on plenty of long rides and experienced enough mechanical failures to know what makes a fully-stocked repair kit. One of her recent journeys, a 1,200-mile journey through the jungles of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia along the Ho Chi Minh Trail required the utmost degree of preparedness — “We brought with us a lot of extra bearings, o-rings, stuff that you would never be able to find in Laos and Cambodia. Before I go out on these big adventures, I replace every bearing in my bike, my fork got a total rebuild — everything is in pristine condition,” says Rusch.
Yes, bicycle shops generally provide repair services. A typical list of offered services includes regular service/adjustment (including safety check; and brake, drivetrain, and tire inspection); premium, and annual service, which is a more extensive tune-up. More specific repairs include drivetrain tune-up, brake system tune-up, flat tire fixes, brake repairs, cleaning and touching up the bike frame.

We like, and recommend, the Crankbrothers Speedier Lever. If you have to pick only one, go with the Pedro’s, but if you want a backup or have some hard tires to unseat, Crankbrothers is a great choice. It’s only one lever (as opposed to a set of two, like the Pedro’s) and it’s longer, so we didn’t pick it over the Pedro’s for portability reasons. But it’s an excellent tool. It has a wide handle you can grip with your whole hand. Like the Pedro’s, the tip is the right size and shape to prevent slipping and stay in place, and the shape of the handle happens to protect your knuckles if you do slip. Even in situations where I didn’t need it, I liked having it because it made me feel like a pro.

Trek Bicycle Newington is your destination for the latest products from Trek and Bontrager, service and tune-ups for bikes of any brand, and local advice about the best riding in the area. We are proud advocates for the cycling community and we strive to give cyclists a great place to ride and learn. We host weekly road and recreational rides, women’s rides, and educational clinics aimed at getting more women on bikes. We also organize monthly mountain bike rides and sponsor several triathlon series in the area. Our store has been a community landmark since 1975, and we love seeing customers who bought their first bike with us coming back years later to get bikes for their kids. Whether you’ve been riding for years or want to try something new, we welcome you to stop in and meet our team!
It has some useful information for basic repairs... not so heavy on the maintenance side but there is some in there. The pictures and drawings are in black and white, but mostly visible. Only a few are difficult to see. However, they are in 2-dimensions and they don't show you HOW to do the thing, they only show you the general area and the part you want to manipulate. The phrasing in the instructions can be hard to follow without a good visual reference unless you're already a master bike mechanic (which you aren't if you're thinking about buying this). So, buy this for general reference and rely on Youtube for video. The two together are better than either one alone.

The Bicycle Repair Shop is the place to be if you want to buy a new bike, need a repair or to rent a bike. These guy know everything about bikes and then some and at an amazing price. If you need your bike repaired they go above and beyond to help you get your bike repaired. If you are a tourist the shop has a great many bikes to choose from at an excellent price. I visited this shop last time I was in Seattle visiting my son and we rented the tandem bike it was a blast. My son bought a great bike and if he needs a tune up he goes to The Bicycle Repair Shop. This is the best bike shop in all of Seattle !!!!!!!

A two-stage hand pump tries to marry the best features of both types of pumps: the quick inflation of high volume that can achieve the higher psi ranges of high pressure. But to steal a quote from our floor pump guide, “You pump eight times or you pump 10 times—what does it matter?” That’s a quote from Daimeon Shanks, who at the time was a mechanic for the Garmin-Sharp pro tour team—that’s right, Tour de France, baby.
It has some useful information for basic repairs... not so heavy on the maintenance side but there is some in there. The pictures and drawings are in black and white, but mostly visible. Only a few are difficult to see. However, they are in 2-dimensions and they don't show you HOW to do the thing, they only show you the general area and the part you want to manipulate. The phrasing in the instructions can be hard to follow without a good visual reference unless you're already a master bike mechanic (which you aren't if you're thinking about buying this). So, buy this for general reference and rely on Youtube for video. The two together are better than either one alone.
In spite of seat bags’ diminutive size, a lot of people really, really want them to accommodate more stuff. If that’s you, the medium and large seat bag (but not the small) have an extendable gill at the bottom, which you can see in the image up top. It zips open to create more room. With it unzipped, we could cram a wallet, keys, and phone inside the medium as well.
Keychain style flashlight or headlamp, LED type, not incandescent: The keychain style is tiny and lightweight, the headlamp style is a bit bulkier but easier to use. You can get these for a couple of bucks or less at the local big box hardware store. The LED ones are lighter, more durable and last considerably longer. Very useful if you need to make a repair after dark! I keep a keychain style one as a backup as I normally have a headlamp in my backpack.
Before I get started, I should mention that I never leave reviews. This is probably my first one on Yelp. These guys are just so great that I felt compelled to give them a shoutout. This is the shop I hoped to find when I began commuting two years ago. I'm a daily commuter and I love knowing that these guys will help me almost anytime that I need it. Andy, Jake and Brad listen and make sure to help me as best they can and are always speedy about it. Additionally, they encourage me to do my own work on my bikes when I have the time/when they know I'm capable and I really appreciate that encouragement. These guys will give you their best and provide some laughs as well. Couldn't recommend them more!
Bike Radar gives the Pedro’s levers 4.55 out of five stars and claims they’re the “best out there.” (Can we pause to admire the extra five hundredths of a star the site chose to award it? Very specific.) Aaron Gulley, writing for Outside, states, “I can’t count the number of times I’ve snapped cheap plastic sticks, shredded my hand in the process, stomped around cursing in pain for 10 minutes, and then, insult to injury, been tool-less and unable to get my tire off anyway. That will never happen with Pedro’s.”
Keychain style flashlight or headlamp, LED type, not incandescent: The keychain style is tiny and lightweight, the headlamp style is a bit bulkier but easier to use. You can get these for a couple of bucks or less at the local big box hardware store. The LED ones are lighter, more durable and last considerably longer. Very useful if you need to make a repair after dark! I keep a keychain style one as a backup as I normally have a headlamp in my backpack.

A multitool is a highly versatile piece of repair equipment that can address most of your maintenance needs. Ideally, you should use it before a ride to tighten and adjust everything properly, but sometimes it’s necessary on a ride as well. If you encounter a loose screw, realize your saddle height is not right, or that your brakes need tightening, you will be happy to have it.

Next to everything else that might go wrong with a bicycle on an extended ride, a flat is a relatively minor issue that can be easily repaired trailside, if the right tools are at hand. If they aren’t, a quick fix can turn into a long walk. Well-prepared riders will perform a tune-up regularly and clean their bikes after every ride. For the less-diligent, a well-stocked repair kit will suffice.
Inside Student Union across from College Optical, the UCF Bike Repair Service is provided for students with bike problems. Students may come, free of charge, and have their bikes repaired with quality service by our Bike Repair Team. Service include: Inflate tires, change tubes, brake adjustments, tighten crankset, loose handlebars, adjust gears, and brake cable installation. Bikes can also be reserved here as part of the Bike Share program.